There's nothing as bad as a days-old pan covered with a sauce that tasted oh-so-good when you made it but which is now a caked-on gunk. Sure, you could soak that thing overnight, but you'd like to clean it now. So, it's easy! Just put that pan back on the range, get it nice and hot, and pour in some hot hot water. Once that water's boiling, take a wooden spoon and spread the water all over, while also breaking up the caked-on sauce. The hot water will break up the gunk and you'll soon have the pan clean enough to scrub briefly with a sponge and soap.